The Cedar Cultural Center promotes intercultural appreciation and understanding through music and dance.

Over the past 25 years, The Cedar’s stage has been graced with brilliant, acclaimed musicians from all over the globe including legends and visionaries Greg Brown, Mavis Staples, Ani DiFranco, Femi Kuti, Doc Watson, and Amadou and Mariam. These performances have inspired and awed people from all over the Twin Cities, the Midwestern region, and the world. Today, our organization’s impact goes way beyond introducing audience members to amazing music. The Cedar is also doing important work under the radar, which has made it a crucial force in the health and vitality of the Twin Cities.

Rip Rapson, President of Kresge Foundation, emphasized the importance of arts organizations when he said, “Arts and culture need to be at the core of every conversation we have about community development in our country.” Reflected in our mission statement to promote intercultural appreciation and understanding through global music, The Cedar stands out as an organization that uses art as a vehicle for positive change. In fact, The Cedar’s mission is more relevant now than ever: Our programming educates audiences about cultural difference in our increasingly diverse Minnesota communities. We use thoughtful, strategic, and culturally competent outreach to engage diverse audiences with performances by artists who reflect a variety of cultures and backgrounds. This results in rich artistic content and organic opportunities for intercultural exchange through shared experiences.

To remain vital and competitive in the global marketplace, it is important that the people of Minnesota continue to invest in organizations like The Cedar. The Cedar’s commitment to supporting musicians, furthering intercultural appreciation, and serving our community means that we have an impact not just on our audience members but on all of Minnesota. Please support the health of our community by making a donation today!

“As far as concert venues go, it’s hard to find one that encapsulates so much of what’s great about the Twin Cities better than The Cedar does. First off, it’s always all-ages – an everybody’s-welcome sort of policy that tends to be in short supply these days. Second, it’s a true melting pot, the standard-bearer for a neighborhood that’s evolved into one of our richest cultural microcosms, a venue that pays homage as equally to folk ensembles from West Africa as it does to indie rockers from the West Coast. But even beyond it’s second-to-none cultural breadth, The Cedar does its part to nurture creativity, often finding ways to encourage its artists to present their work in new and unusual ways – be it with film scores, pajama parties, or, hell, just a good old-fashioned dance party. With The Cedar, the further outside the box, the better, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.” –City Pages Best of the Twin Cities 2013 “Best Concert Venue”

“I’m simply stunned at how much of a centrifuge The Cedar is in its efforts of bringing world music to town and aligning it with other organizational efforts.” –Scott Pollock, The American Swedish Institute

“Our field trip to The Cedar was amazingly fun! Not only was it a great time, but the students had a chance to live the lessons we teach them every day. Sharing cultures, embracing differences, and learning about diversity is central to quality education.” –Dana Bjorum, Teacher, Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School